Transatlantic Discourse on Integration: "Amnesty for illegal migrants?", April 19, 2005

In the U.S. as well as in Europe policy instruments to combat undocumented immigration have a high priority on the political agenda. On both sides of the Atlantic measures applied to fight this phenomenon are controversially discussed. One example is the debate of amnesty programs for illegal immigrants. The question is: What experiences have European countries made with amnesty programs? Is this policy effective or are their unintended consequences? And what political alternatives are applied? Sponsored by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the european forum for migration studies organized the workshop "Amnesty for illegal migrants?" on April 19, 2005 in Berlin. Among the participants representatives from government, police, academia, trade unions, nongovernmental organizations and the media.

The statements have been published in a conference volume.

Conference program

9 a.m.

Welcome and Introduction

• Prof. Dr. Friedrich Heckmann, european forum for migration studies, Bamberg

9:15 a.m.

Undocumented immigration in the European Union and the U.S.: Facts and trends

• Dr. Randolph Capps, The Urban Institute, Washington D.C.
• Eckhart Wache, Grenzschutzpräsidium Ost, Berlin
• Nele Verbruggen, Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, Brussels
• Mikael Blomquist Jensen, Illegal Immigration/Crimes against Persons Unit, Europol, The Hague

10:45 a.m.

Coffee break

11:00 a.m.

The situation of illegal migrants: living and working conditions and social policies

• P. Dr. Jörg Alt SJ, Jesuit Refugee Service, Berlin
• Frank Schmidt-Hullmann, European Construction and International Department, IG Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt (IG BAU), Frankfurt
• Prof. Dr. Philip Martin, University of California, Davis

12:30

Lunch

1:30 p.m.

Amnesty for illegal migrants: An appropriate policy? Approaches, effectiveness and alternatives

• Country report Portugal:José Carlos Marques and Pedro Gois, Center for Social Studies, University of Coimbra
• Country report Italy: Claudia Finotelli, Institut für Migrationsforschung und Interkulturelle Studien (IMIS), Osnabrück
• Country report Spain: Prof. Dr. Joaquín Arango, Centro de Estudios sobre Ciudadanía y Migraciones, Fundación Ortega y Gasset, Madrid

3:00 p.m.

Coffee break

• Country report United States: Oscar Chacón, Enlaces América, Chicago
• Country report Germany: Norbert Cyrus, University of Oldenburg

4 p.m.

Concluding discussion

5 p.m.

Adjourn

List of participants (in alphabetical order)

• Christin Achermann, Schweizerisches Forum für Migrations- und Bevölkerungsstudien, Neuchâtel
• P. Dr. Jörg Alt SJ, Jesuiten-Flüchtlingsdienst (JRS), Berlin
• Prof. Dr. Joaquín Arango, Universidad Compltense e Instituto Universitario de Investigación Ortega y Gasset, Spain
• Yolanda Bakker, Berlin
• Stefanie Bolzen, Die Welt
• Nicole Bosch, europäisches forum für migrationsstudien, Bamberg
• Dr. Randolph Capps, The Urban Institute, Washington D.C.
• Oscar Chacón, Enlaces América, Chicago
• Norbert Cyrus, Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Bildung und Kommunikation in Migrationsprozessen Universität Oldenburg
• Claudia Ehrenstein, Die Welt
• Claudia Finotelli, Institut für Migrationsforschung und Interkulturelle Studien (IMIS), Osnabrück
• Pedro Gois, Centro de Estudios Sociais, Faculdade de Economia, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
• Heinz Grunwald, Regierungsvizepräsident, Regierung von Mittelfranken, Ansbach
• Prof. Dr. Friedrich Heckmann, Leiter des europäischen forums für migrationsstudien, Bamberg
• Antje Helbig, Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)
• Barbara John, Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Sport, Berlin
• Mikael Blomquist Jensen, Deputy Head of Unit Crimes against Persons, Europol, The Hague
• Roland Kugler, Bundesministerium des Innern
• José Carlos Marques, Centro de Estudios Sociais, Faculdade de Economia, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
• Prof. Dr. Philip Martin, University of California, Davis
• Veysel Özcan, Büro Cem Özdemir, Berlin
• Mario Peucker, europäisches forum für migrationsstudien
• RA Klaus Rutow, Foerster + Rutow Rechtsanwälte, Nürnberg
• Melanie Schnatsmeyer, Deutsches Institut für Menschenrechte, Berlin
• Jörg Scholz, IBM Deutschland GmbH, Berlin
• Dr. habil. Karen Schönwälder, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung, Berlin
• Frank Schmidt-Hullmann, IG Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt, Frankfurt am Main
• Dr. Susanne Schwalgin, Arbeitsstelle Interkulturelle Pädadgogik, Münster
• Annette Sinn, Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge, Nürnberg
• Ulrich de Taillez, Bayerisches Staatsministerium des Innern, München
• Nele Verbruggen, Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), Brussels
• Eckhart Wache, Grenzschutzpräsidium Ost, Berlin
• Dr. Andrea Witt, The German Marshall Fund of the United States, Berlin
• Dr. Tanja Wunderlich, europäisches forum für migrationsstudien, Bamberg